Louise King’s Puddle Pictures

Liam Rudden

LICKETY Splits, a vintage sweet shop with its very own gallery on Jeffrey Street, has to be one of the Capital’s more unexpected exhibition spaces.

From Thursday, there a chance to view some equally unexpected images of the city when local photographer Louise King premieres her latest works in Alternative Urban Landscapes, an exhibition reflecting everyday images of the city as well as some from further afield.

The 35-year-old, who now lives in Musselburgh, explains, “The exhibition shows mainly shots from Edinburgh, but also from Liverpool, Glasgow and London.

“Edinburgh is a fantastic place to photograph as it has such a diverse range of architecture and an amazing mix of green space and more industrial areas.

“It rains a lot too, good for my puddle pictures.”

The point of King’s ‘puddle pictures’ is to “show familiar places in a new light”.

“Whether it’s well known buildings captured in a puddle, or the bright lights of Lothian Road captured through a rainy bus window, I like to disguise the obvious.

“I will photograph anything, anywhere, anytime, but am a fan of distorting images through reflections.

“I took workshops a couple of years ago with Edinburgh photographer Michael Wildman who taught me to look beyond the obvious.

“I’m inspired by the way everyday objects and buildings can take on a different form when looked at through glass, through water or just by been given a bit extra space.”

King works with both “full frame and crop sensor digital cameras” but is not above reaching for her iPhone when the need arises.

“I understand there is a little snobbery over this but I would rather not miss an opportunity,” she says. “It’s the image you see and how you capture it that’s the most important thing.”